Regus agrees first UK franchise deals

Regus has signed its first UK franchise deals, which will see it open new centres in Cambridgeshire and London. The first, with ACCA Office, part of ACCA Ltd, which has a portfolio of food and drink brands and gym franchises, will be at Ermine Business Park in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and will be part of a broader commitment to develop 10 new top of the range Regus centres over the next four years. The other franchise, with SME Properties, will see a new centre open on the high street in Southgate, London. Steve Holloway, UK network development director at Regus, said: “It’s an exciting time for the UK flexible office market, and this milestone in these two partnerships are a sign of the exciting opportunity for landlords to capitalise on the flexible working trend. “We’re thrilled that both our partners are taking on this new space in Huntingdon and Southgate, respectively, and are looking forward to both centres becoming an established feature for the local business community.” Julian Chambers, head of franchise development at Regus, added: “Projections show that 30% of corporate real estate could be flexible workspace by 2030, up from 2% today. This makes the flexible office market a very exciting franchise opportunity. “Partnering with Regus gives business owners who want to invest and develop the ability to participate in the growth story, and to take advantage of this increasing demand.” Regus is a global workspace provider, which is part of IWG, and currently has more than 3,000 flexible workspace centres. IWG said more openings for the UKwere in the works for the coming months. To send feedback, e-mail louise.dransfield@egi.co.uk or tweet @DransfieldL or @estatesgazette